Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack gave a green light to Cooperative Development Institute (CDI) this week to create and retain rural jobs and secure affordable housing. Vilsack’s announcement included a major grant of $200,000 for CDI from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and support for 28 other centers, totaling $5.8 million in Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) funding this year. CDI will use the award to create cooperative businesses and networks that grow a prosperous, equitable economy in the Northeast, in line with Vilsack’s comments that the RCDG awards would “strengthen America’s ‘Main Street’ businesses.”
The RCDG program provides funding for technical assistance, such as CDI’s work developing food systems, converting traditional businesses, securing affordable housing, and training cooperatives at all stages of development. All RCDG project activities must be for the benefit of rural areas. The funding covers work such as feasibility studies, strategic planning, leadership and operations training, and business plan development.
“Cooperative Development Institute’s work spans the northeastern United States, a region rich with rural communities,” offered CDI’s Executive Director Noemi Giszpenc. “We have helped to create over 120 co-ops and 400 jobs in many sectors in our 20+ years in operation, and thanks to RCDG funding, we’ll continue to do so in 2016 and 2017.”
I see absolutely no racial diversity among your staff. Under those circumstances it is Impossible to bridge the gap in racial biases. and demonstrate cultural competence while working in communities of color. Assuming you do work in those communities. There are a number of housing coops in the Roxbury area of Boston. How could you possibly do effective outreach in similar communities?
The Alacwin-P Farmers’ Cooperative, Alacwin-P Farmers’ Cooperative Emergency Food Pantry, and Alacwin-P Farmers’ Cooperative Food Bank is being established in Columbus, Ohio in 2017. We will be a federated cooperative which supports those under the income-to-poverty ratio <50% and market to 501 (c) (3) churches who own food pantries in Columbus and Franklin County and market to customers at our Alacwin-P Farmers' Cooperative Open Markets in urban communities in Franklin County. We are seeking federal grants, USDA included. I have a DUNS#, a SAM's application on file. I've never received any bulletins about grants since approval in July. We are African American farmers. As the founder, President, CEO, and incorporator of the three small business corporations, I'm a minority female whose income is below poverty as well. Our purpose is to assistance those below the poverty level by providing free food every day, Monday-Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., free meals on holiday, distribute free food to the wiser adults, challenged. We feed the homeless. We feed veterans. We hire the homeless, veterans, and formerly incarcerated felons in our warehouse and as farmworkers. We use volunteers. The federated cooperatives will need grants for all of our start-up expenses? Would like to know when, how, where to apply for USDA grants for the three entities. Alacwin-P Farmers' Cooperative is already registered in the state of Ohio. The Alacwin-P Farmers' Cooperative Emergency Food Pantry and the Alacwin-P Farmers' Cooperative Food Bank will be incorporated in November, the emergency food pantry, the food bank in December, 2016. Please tell me that the USDA allots grant funds for minority African American females who are themselves below poverty but regardless are will to sacrifice to aid others in need in areas of employment and food. Sincerely, Mary E. Knight, CEO, 3706 Kimberly Pkwy N, Columbus, Ohio 43232. (614) 961-6479. cometoespera@yahoo.com
Hello Ms. Knight,
It may be helpful for you to look into the “Section 2501” grants that the USDA administers through its Office of Advocacy and Outreach. See http://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/2501-fy16-awards/.
Best of luck,
Noemi Giszpenc